Before we begin to consider Psalms 140 through 145, I would like to say a word about hymn #960 in our hymnal. As we sing this hymn, our heart is touched and we feel that the Lord is close to us and that we are close to Him. We have the sense not mainly of the Lord's coming or of His being the King but of His nearness and dearness. We also have the feeling that the writer of this hymn was very intimate with the Lord. For instance, the third stanza says, "My heart is always with Himself,/My eyes are heavenward,/My lips would utter nothing else/Than meeting with my Lord./The coming of the Lord draws nigh,/His coming is for me;/His promise ever standeth firm/And soon fulfilled I'll see." The writer addresses the Lord as "my King," an expression that indicates dearness and nearness. The more we sing or read this hymn, the greater is our sense of how dear and near the Lord is to us and we to Him.
This word about Hymns, #960 may help us to appreciate Psalms 140 through 145. These six psalms are not great or important, and they do not have any particular taste. Although these psalms are common, they nevertheless show us one striking thing—that David, the writer, was very close to God. Thus, the sense of nearness to the Lord in these psalms is very similar to the sense in Hymns, #960.
Concerning the arrangement of the one hundred fifty psalms, we have seen that Psalms 1 through 119 are on the law and that Psalms 120 through 134 are Songs of Ascents. The last sixteen psalms, Psalms 135 through 150, are in three clusters: Psalms 135 through 139, Psalms 140 through 145, and Psalms 146 through 150. Each of these sixteen psalms is plain, altogether lacking in a particular taste or flavor.
We have also seen that the Psalms are the expression of the complex sentiments of the psalmists. Because the psalmists were close to the Lord, often while they were writing their sentiments, a revelation regarding Christ would break forth. We see such a revelation in Psalm 2:7: "You are My Son;/Today I have begotten You." We may compare the breaking forth of the revelations of Christ in the Psalms to Christ's sudden, unexpected transfiguration on the mountain (Matt. 17:1-2) and to His surprising ascension (Acts 1:9-11). Although revelations concerning Christ burst out in many different psalms, no such bursting out takes place in the last sixteen psalms.
Psalms 140 through 145, written by David, are all prayers. Therefore, I have entitled this message "Final Prayers of David to Jehovah." Let us now look into the content of these prayers. These psalms do not contain great or important things, but, as we will see, they are full of intimacy.